A Study on The Perception of Youth about Stock Market and Investments

The rapid growth of e-commerce has significantly reshaped consumer shopping behaviour, particularly among young adults in India.Despite widespread research on individual factors like usability, trust, or price sensitivity, limited studies have examined how these dimensions interact to influence consumer preference within a unified framework.This study aims to fill that gap by investigating five key constructs-Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, Trust and Security, Price and Promotions, and Delivery and Customer Service-and their collective impact on consumer preference for e-commerce platforms.A structured questionnaire was distributed among 330 participants, primarily aged 18-25, using convenience sampling.Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) confirmed the validity of the measurement model, and regression analysis revealed that Perceived Ease of Use had the strongest influence on consumer preference, followed by Delivery and Customer Service, and Perceived Usefulness.Interestingly, Trust and Security and Price and Promotions showed weak negative associations, suggesting nuanced consumer perceptions that merit further exploration.The regression model demonstrated strong predictive power, explaining 62.8% of the variance in consumer preference.The results emphasize the importance of seamless interface design, efficient service, and platform functionality in shaping user loyalty and satisfaction.This study provides valuable insights for e-commerce businesses aiming to optimize user experience, enhance post-purchase services, and design targeted promotional strategies.It also contributes to academic discourse by presenting an integrated model of consumer behaviour, laying the foundation for future research in digital retail environments.